The Health Benefits of Walking

Effective exercise doesn’t have to be hard work. What if I
told you there was an exercise to raise your metabolism and cut belly fat
without making you break a sweat? As it happens, it’s an exercise you do every
day: walking.

A lot of my gym buddies scorn walking. I’ve never understood
why; they always have my back when it comes to an hour-long workout lifting
weights, but it’s an uphill battle to convince them to walk fifteen minutes to
get to a class on campus rather than taking the car. “Walking has a negligible
effect,” they say, shrugging. Maybe I should tell them these four facts.

1)
Walking a single mile generally won’t take much longer
than twelve minutes, but will burn 100 calories.

2)
A brisk pace, sustained for only a few minutes,
will raise metabolism and send fat-burning signals throughout your body.

3)
Walking thirty minutes or more will release
endorphins into your body, causing a sense of heightened well-being.

4)
The energy burned from walking more than thirty
minutes comes entirely from your fat stores, creating a slim and lean look.
That means you can burn fat through exercise, and still have plenty of energy
throughout the day.

And there are more health benefits. Walking daily
significantly reduces the risk of developing diabetes, mostly because losing
fat in the abdominal area hinders development of the disease. This form of
exercise also lowers bad cholesterol while raising levels of the desired HDL
cholesterol.

But the best argument for walking is the simplicity of
this exercise, the numerous ways it can be naturally incorporated into your
life. If you’re like me and live on a college campus, maybe you can plan to get
to some classes or parties by foot, if it’s at all manageable. Or if you drive
to work, next time don’t circle the parking lot several times looking for the
spot that’s closest to the door. If you’re ever going to drive your car a short
distance and are in no particular hurry, think of it as a chance to get in
twenty minutes of walking. Bring your iPod if you want!

Don’t let anyone kid you. Walking is meaningful exercise
that gives meaningful results. It’s easy, and can be done at any time of day,
all at once or gradually throughout your waking hours. So start a walking routine,
and see great results!

Comments

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soneblom 6 years agofrom South Africa

Great hub! Walking gives me a chance to prayer while admiring the beauty of nature around me so I forget how far I walked... lol

Author

Mark Sparks 6 years agofrom Charlottesville, Virginia

yeah, I love taking my dog for a walk. I'll just listen to my ipod, taking him thorugh the neighborhood. nothing beats the simple things in life

Kristin Trapp 6 years agofrom Illinois

Walking is one reason I got a dog - the only problem is she stops continually to smell everything. I think the same could be said about taking the stairs as opposed to escalators or elevators. When I first started working in a building years ago I noticed one day that most of the people waiting for the elevator to take them up one floor were overweight. Even though I was not overweight I thought it best to take the stairs instead all the time - not to mention for one or two flights, it's actually faster.

Kimberly D King 6 years agofrom San Diego, CA

Well I don't drive and public transport cost too much anymore, so its more convenient!

Author

Mark Sparks 6 years agofrom Charlottesville, Virginia

DRG-Glad you're already a regular walker. No need to change that!thanks for the read

Kimberly:It's cool that you just walk to work rather than taking the car a short distance. I do the same in college as I walk to work!

Kimberly D King 6 years agofrom San Diego, CA

Thank you for focusing on the benefits of walking, Mark! I've had to start walking to work since July 1st, 45 minutes back and forth every day and I've noticed a significant difference in my body!

Felix J Hernandez 6 years agofrom All over the USA

I am quite a walker. I wasn't aware of how many calories I was buring. Thank you for the lesson.